Dancing is a very popular entertainment and art form that requires the dancers to learn various steps of a particular style of dance. Dance is a multifaceted area of study which provides the student with opportunities to experience the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of disciplined movement.
Children are often introduced to dance at a very young age, sometimes as early as two years old. An important aspect of any type of dance is developing the proper form and the right body position. The benefits of dance to students are numerous and include improvement in motor proficiency, skill accomplishment, balance, fitness, body awareness and posture, as well as discipline, physical satisfaction, emotional release, a sense of camaraderie, and a higher appreciation for the arts. Potential for self-actualization is developed and feelings of self-worth may be increased.
Dance teachers typically use music and oral instructions in teaching dance to students. The music assists dancers in letting them know where they are supposed to be in the dance. However, such methods of instruction fail to effectively teach dance to students who are deaf, tone-deaf, and/or hard of hearing. Often such a dancer will use his or her eyes to watch and follow the movement of a fellow dancer who may be able to hear and follow the music. This often leads to frustration at the deaf student's lack of progress and he or she may lose interest, thereby not enjoying any of the benefits associated with dancing as a result of his or her hearing disability.
There is a need to effectively teach dance to deaf students or to those who are unable to hear and follow music. In particular, there is a need for a method of dance instruction that will provide deaf students with a sign count for each step in order to help them establish a basic rhythm pattern and develop the inner rhythm and timing for a particular dance.
U.S. Patent Application US 2006/0154220 filed Jul. 11, 2003, by Toniolo, discloses a training device for novice/professional dancers. The device includes a mat with foot positions, and a video recording system and display that show the dancers what they are doing along with textual feedback. The focus is on fundamental foot position, and also teaches the use of signs or indicators on a screen. Such a device allows students, including visually impaired students, to determine the correct position of their feet and body during dance. The device taught by Toniolo could be used by deaf students to determine correct positioning. However, it would have the same advantages and disadvantages as watching and following the movements of a fellow dancer, and thereby lead to frustration and loss of interest.
Consequently, a need exists to effectively teach dance to deaf students to or others who learn more effectively through visual display to enable them to enjoy the benefits thereof.